the wardette studio blog

Day two of our bumper week, and we take a walk with Barrie & Karen across the stunning hills of the Ribble Valley. We even get to meet their adorable little boy Luca, who was but a baby-bump when I first met our bride-to-be Karen. Make sure you flick through to the end, for pictures in the heather.. Sigh...

We walked a lot at this shoot, it was lovely. I've always thought more clearly, and felt more relaxed, when I'm walking. I'm one of those strange people who paces on the phone too, even in tiny spaces. So I guess it's unsurprising that some people feel a bit more comfortable on camera, when they are walking and talking to each other. I also think walking and talking brings people to life; they chat, they laugh, they move around. And what better setting to take a walk in, than these INSANE backdrops.

Barrie and Karen will be married within two weeks, in beautiful Harrogate. And by the looks of these photos, we'll definitely be taking a walk together on the big day too. Karen wrote the loveliest responses for their Nearly-Wed Q&A, so I'm going to step back and let her charm you all with their stories. The proposal story is particularly sweet!

QUICK NEARLY-WED Q & A:

Do you remember the first time you saw each other?

K: I first met Barrie when I was on a night out with a mutual friend. Barrie was a little drunk and I recall asking our mutual friend not to leave me with him. After meeting him I kept seeing him out and about and we'd say hi. I was then looking for a flat and contacted the company Barrie works for and he got in contact and invited me out for a drink. My first impression of him was soon changed once I got to know him properly.

When did you first know you wanted to marry them?

K: It wasn't as if there was one single moment that made me think I wanted to marry Barrie it's a lot of things. We've been together 10 years and I think looking back I knew we would hopefully be together forever after a few years of being together. We moved in with each other pretty quickly and it was definitely a steep learning curve as Barrie is a tidy freak ! And I am not. As we experienced more things together and got over hurdles and challenges it was evident we wanted the same things together. We balance each other out, I'm a little more spontaneous and will try to experience new things. Barrie thinks everything through, he's cautious and can sometimes stick to what he knows, but together we work and it's fun.

How did they propose? How did you react?

K: We got engaged in Paris and it really was perfect. I had a suspicion when he booked Paris as a surprise for my birthday but he then planted a seed of doubt when he told me we were going to Paris because it was just the best deal for the days we where going which is very much a Barrie thing to do. Even so I was still a little hopeful. We went to the Bridge of Love and added our lock and also the Eiffel Tower, even going to the top when Barrie is a little scared of heights but nothing. So the next day I didn't bother to make as much effort with my hair and face and took on more of a casual look for our sightseeing & yes that's the day he asked me to marry him. We went on a big wheel at the end of the Champs Elysee. As our carriage got to the top Barrie got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box, I really was taken a back and actually couldn't believe it was happening. I of course said yes. The proposal was perfect and so was the ring, it was exactly what I would have picked myself and couldn't believe he'd had no help. We had a photo taken as we got off the wheel and it makes me smile to look at it. We are both beaming like Cheshire cats! I called my mum who pretended she didn't know it was happening, Barrie later told me he'd already asked my Dad and asked him not to say anything to anyone but my dad said he'd have to tell my mum or she'd kill him when she found out. We headed back to the hotel via a rooftop bar which overlooked Paris and watched the sun go down. That night we celebrated at a gorgeous restaurant Enjoying some Parisian cuisine and champagne.

What do you think makes you work so well as a couple?

K: I think what makes us work is that we are both have the same goals in life. We may have slightly different opinions of how those are achieved but that is what makes it fun